clamp

/ˈklæmp/

//ˈklæmp// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"clamp" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clamp” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,985. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,985
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things that are apart together.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clamp · clamp · English

clamp · rank #15,985 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,985
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cinderella

Nearest frequency peer: Cinderella (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “clamp”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “clamp” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

clamp vs CLP
0% similar
clamp vs crap
60% similar
clamp vs clay
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for clamp
PropertyValue
Headwordclamp
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklæmp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#15,985
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clamp”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).clamplands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Cinderella” (#15,984), “clans” (#15,986), “competitiveness” (#15,987). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clamp” is #15,985. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around clamp (IPA /ˈklæmp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,985 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for clamp, with forms such as "calmp", "cclamp", and "clammp". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CLP", "crap", "clay", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle Dutch clamp, klampe (“a clamp, hook”), from Proto-Germanic *klampō (“clamp, clasp, cramp”), related to Proto-West Germanic *klammjan. Cognate with Middle Low German klampe (“hook, clasp”), German Klampfe, Klampe (“clamp, cleat”), Norwegian klamp… The correct English form is clamp, spelled C-L-A-M-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things that are apart together.
  2. 2
    An instrument used to temporarily shut off blood vessels, etc.
  3. 3
    A parking enforcement device used to immobilise a car until it can be towed or a fine is paid; a wheel clamp.
  4. 4
    A pile of materials to be heated in a controlled way, stacked or heaped together with fuel so that the fire permeates the pile; the material of interest may be bricks to be fired, ore for roasting, coal for coking, or wood to be charcoalized.
  5. 5
    A compact pile of agricultural produce (such as root vegetables or silage) used for temporary storage (often covered with straw, earth, or both).
  6. 6
    A piece of wood (batten) across the grain of a board end to keep it flat, as in a breadboard.
  7. 7
    An electronic circuit that fixes either the positive or the negative peak excursions of a signal to a defined value by shifting its DC value.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how clamp appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. [T]he pots would be stacked in a heap, covered with wood chippings and brushwood and domed over with turves, leaving a few air vents around the sides. When complete the clamp would be fired[.]

Etymology

From Middle Dutch clamp, klampe (“a clamp, hook”), from Proto-Germanic *klampō (“clamp, clasp, cramp”), related to Proto-West Germanic *klammjan. Cognate with Middle Low German klampe (“hook, clasp”), German Klampfe, Klampe (“clamp, cleat”), Norwegian klamp (“clamp”), Alemannic German Chlempi.

This word in other languages

sargento(Español)serre-joint(Français)Klammer(Deutsch)grampo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • calmp
  • cclamp
  • clammp
  • clampp
  • clapm
  • cllamp
  • clmap
  • lcamp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clamp - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

calmp2cclamp1clammp1clampp1clapm2cllamp1clmap2lcamp2
Edit distance from "clamp"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "clamp"?
"clamp" is spelled C-L-A-M-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklæmp/.
What does "clamp" mean?
As a noun, "clamp" means: A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things that are apart together.
What words are commonly confused with "clamp"?
"clamp" is commonly confused with "CLP", "crap", "clay". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clamp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clamp" is /ˈklæmp/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "clamp"?
From Middle Dutch clamp, klampe (“a clamp, hook”), from Proto-Germanic *klampō (“clamp, clasp, cramp”), related to Proto-West Germanic *klammjan. Cognate with Middle Low German klampe (“hook, clasp”), German Klampfe, Klampe (“clamp, cleat”), Norwe... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "clamp", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

clans#15,986carts#15,976bangs#15,960ERNIE#16,018

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Crimea8 variantsgraded8 variantshacks8 variantssuffice8 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list